One of the challenges in providing a general-purpose computer for a consumer market is providing a graphical user interface that can meet the needs of diverse users. Such users may have different requirements due to, for example, environmental constraints, vision impairments, or cognitive disabilities.
One aspect of a graphical user interface is its color contrast. While many computers and other devices with a display allow color contrast to be adjusted, such adjustments generally are “global” in nature, i.e., the color contrast of the display may be adjusted.
In some operating systems and some applications, different display attributes can be associated with different user interface elements to provide for a desired combination of colors. For example, a browser application may allow a user to manipulate settings for font size, for colors for background, foreground, and text, and for borders of user interface elements. As another example, an operating system can provide such settings for use by all applications. The combination of settings for a group of attributes may be called a theme or visual style or palette. In some operating systems and in some applications, one or more predetermined combinations of settings may be available. For example, one combination of settings may provide highest contrast. Another combination of settings may address a visual impairment.